A DESPERATE dad turned to doctors when water started spirting from his nose and was shocked to learn he could be dead in six months.
Phil Sledden-Houston’s life drastically changed when he was diagnosed with mouth cancer after smoking cigarettes for decades.
The 51-year-old, from Middleton in Greater Manchester, realised something wasn’t right when he was drinking water in 2018 and it spurted out his nose.
He visited a dental hospital on referral when a specialist told him that he had cancer and it was serious.
Phil had to undergo an urgent MRI scan and a biopsy only to delivered devastating results.
He told the Manchester Evening News: “A week later I was diagnosed with Stage 4 (palliative care) mouth cancer and the doctor told me I had a choice – to decide to have the operation within a month or die.
“He said I could have six months to live and maybe see Christmas. I had to quit smoking immediately.
“I’ll never forget the surgeon telling me how serious it was, the tumour was in my cheek bone, and he thought it had been hidden for four years.”
It was the size of a tennis ball and had to be removed during a successful 15-hour operation which got the whole tumour.
Surgeons opened half of his face up to remove an eye, cheek bone and palate before inserting hip bone to replace what was taken out and reconstruct his face.
He’s been in remission for three years and has regained his confidence after undergoing a face lift.
Now he’s urging others not to make the same mistakes he did.
Phil was a smoker since the age of 16 and never thought about how a few a day could impact his health.
Without cigarettes his taste has significantly improved and is saving good money.
He said: “I needed the shock of being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer to stop, and I urge everyone to give quitting a go before you end up like me.”
